Inflation of balloon



Nov. 5, 1963 Filed Mar ch 5, 1959 V- E. LALLY INFLATION OF BALLOON 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR VINCENT E. LALLY ORNEY ATT Nov. 5, 1963 v. E. LALLY 3,109,607

INFLATION OF BALLOON Filed March 5, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR VINCENT E. LALLY ATTOIT? United States Patent 3,109,607 INFLATION 0F BALLOON Vincent E. Lally, King of Prussia, Pa., assignor, by mesne assignments, to American Bosch Arma Corporation, I-Iempstead, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 5, 1959, Ser. No. 797,367 3 Claims. (Cl. 244-1) This invention relates to inflatable members, and more particularly to means for inflating said members.

The use of large pressurized balloons for experiments in outer space is becoming increasingly important. Such balloons offer numerous possibilities for use in communication relay stations, weather forecasting fields, and other studies relating to outer space.

A major difficulty in the placing of balloons in orbit around the earth is related to the problem of inflating such balloons with complete reliability. At the present time, various techniques for inflating balloons in space are employed. Notably among such techniques is the use of nitrogen gas included within a pressurized cylinder. This technique requires a complex mechanical system which must be discharged from the balloon as the inflation is completed.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel means for inflating a member.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel means for inflating a spherical member in outer space.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a novel means for inflating a large balloon from a relatively small and light weight package.

In accordance with the present invention, means for inflating a balloon are provided. The inflating means include a subliming material having the characteristic of being transformed from a solid to a gas when the pressure exerted thereon is reduced. Before the inflation of the balloon, the balloon and the subliming material are maintained under pressure. When the pressure is released, the subliming material is transformed from a solid to a gas.

. The resulting gas is used to inflate the balloon.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent and suggest themselves to those skilled in the art to which the present invention is related, from a reading of the following specification and claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plane view of a section or gore of a balloon;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional greatly enlarged view of the section or gore illustrated in FIGURE 1, in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 3 illustrates a housing member, partly broken away, for holding a balloon in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 4 illustrates a balloon in a fully inflated condition;

FIGURE 5 is a view, partly in cross-section, of another embodiment illustrating the present invention, and

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 5, taken along lines 6'6.

Referring particularly to FIGURES 1 and 2, a gore It or section of a balloon is illustrated. In one conventional method 'of balloon manufacturing, a number of gores are suitably fastened to each other. The size and shape of the gores are such that a spherical member or balloon is formed when the gores are suitably attached and the resulting balloon is inflated.

A subliming material 12 may be applied to one surface of the gore It) by means of spraying, painting, or by other methods of coating. The coating may be in the form of a powdered solid material. The amount of material required may be extremely small and ordinarily may not be visible on the gore surface. With the use of conventional techniques, the subliming material may be made to adhere to the surface of the gore it) for an indefinitely long period as long as it remains at normal atmospheric pressure. The surfaces of a number of gores such as the gore 10 having the coating of subliming material 12 form the inner surface of a balloon when the balloon is completely assembled.

Sublimi-ng materials having the characteristic of being transformed from a solid to a gaseous state are well-known in the chemical field. The present invention utilizes the peculiar characteristic of such subliming materials to provide a convenient means for inflating a balloon in space.

Referring particularly to FIGURE 3, a housing member 14 includes a nose cone in and a cylindrical member 18. A balloon 19, with its inner surface coated with subliming material, is folded within the nose cone 16. The balloon 19, in a collapsed condition, is maintained under constant pressure until the nose cone 16 is released to dissipate this pressure.

In launching the balloon 19 into the upper atmosphere, the housing member 14 may be carried by a rocket or form the last stage thereof. The cylindrical member 18 may include various pressure responsive devices or electronic circuitry for controlling the release of the nose come 16 from the balloon 19 and the cylindrical member 18 after the housing member 14 has risen to some predetermined altitude.

When the housing member 14 has ascended sufliciently high into space and the nose cone 16 is released to reduce the pressure on the balloon 19, the atmospheric pressure now exerted on the balloon 19 will be close to zero. Under these conditions, the solid material 12 coated to the inner surface of the balloon sublimes at the reduced pressure and is converted into gas. The resulting gas causes the balloon 19* to become inflated. FIGURE 4 illustrates a fully inflated balloon member 19 carrying the cylindrical member 18.

The reaction time for the subliming material to be transformed from a solid to a gas may be controlled by the type of solid material used. For example, for slow reactions which will prevent undue stresses on the balloon 19 at inflation time, a subliming solid such as oxalic acid (CO H) .2H O, may be used. This material will sublime at a relatively slow rate as the heat of sublimation is supplied to it from the balloon surface. For faster reactions for a particular operational requirement, a subliming solid such as ammonium carbamate, NH CO NH may be employed. Of course, various other types of solid subliming materials may also be employed.

Referring particularly to FIGURE 5, a container 20 includes subliming material 22. Container 20 includes a top 24 having an aperture therein. An adjustable lid 26 also includes an aperture which is adapted to be lined up with the aperture of the top 24 of the container 20. The lid 26 is movable with respect to the top 22 to provide means for varying the size of an aperture 28, which provides a passage for gas from the container 20 to the interior of the balloon 19.

In the embodiment shown, when the subliming material 22, normally maintained as a solid by normal atmospheric pressure or by a relatively high pressure, is suddenly subjected to a relatively low pressure such as existent in upper space, it is trans-formed into gas. The gas escapes through the aperture 28 into the balloon 19 thereby inflating the balloon. The rate at which the balloon :19 becomes inflated may be controlled by varynig the size of the aperture 28. In the embodiment illustrated, the subliming material may be in the form of a powder or u other solid material Within the container 26 rather than coated to the inner surface of the balloon 19, as illustrated and discussed.

A timing device switch 30 may be included in the cylindrical member 18 to operate a pair of solenoids 32 and 34 after the elapse of a predetermined time interval. Plungers 36 and 38, associated with the solenoids 32 and 34, respectively, are disposed in a pair of openings in the nose cone to lock the nose cone to the cylindrical mem- 'ber 18. When the solenoids 32 and 34 are made operative by the timing device 30, the plungers 36 and 38 are withdrawn from the openings in the nose cone 16 to cause the nose cone 16 to fall away from the cylindrical member 18. The su'bliming material 22, now exposed to a relatively low pressure, is transformed into gas to cause the balloon 19 to become inflated in a manner previously described.

While only two embodiments have been illustrated, it is obvious that various other means for permitting the gas from a subliming material to inflate a balloon may be employed. Other devices than those illustrated for maintaining a balloon under "a relatively high pressure with respect to the upper atmosphere and suddenly exposing it to a relatively low pressure may also be employed.

What is claimed:

1. Means for inflating a balloon in a relatively low pressure atmosphere comprising a sub-liming material having a characteristic of being transformed from a solid to a gas when pressure exerted thereon is reduced from a relatively high pressure to a relatively low pressure, said subliming material being disposed to permit said gas to escape into said balloon, a pressure-tight container for '4 maintaining said balloon under a relatively high pressure when said balloon is in a deflated condition, and means for releasing said balloon from said container in a relatively low pressure atmosphere to cause said subliming material to be transformed from a solid to a gas causing said balloon to become inflated.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein adjustable means for controlling the rate of gas escape into said balloon is provided.

3. Means for inflating a balloon in a relatively low pressure atmosphere comprising a subliming material having a characteristic of being transformed from a solid to a gaseous state when pressure exerted thereon is reduced from a relatively high pressure to a relatively low pressure, said subliming material being coated to the inner surface of said balloon, a pressure-tight container for maintaining said balloon under a relatively high pressure when said balloon is in a deflated condition, and means for releasing said balloon from said container in a relatively low pressure atmosphere to cause said subliming material to be transformed from a solid to a gaseous state causing said balloon to become inflated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 529,337 Moore Nov. 13, 1894 1,936,848 Masury Nov. 28, 1933 2,140,062 Talalay Dec. 13, 1938 2,202,225 Murray et 'al May 28, 1940 2,218,931 Carlson Oct. 22, 1940 2,730,626 Varney Jan. 10, 1956 2,889,291 Moore June 2, 1959 

1. MEANS FOR INFLATING A BALLOON IN A RELATIVELY LOW PRESSURE ATMOSPHERE COMPRISING A SUBLIMING MATERIAL HAVING A CHARACTERISTIC OF BEING TRANSFORMED FROM A SOLID TO A GAS WHEN PRESSURE EXERTED THEREON IS REDUCED FROM A RELATIVELY HIGH PRESSURE TO A RELATIVELY LOW PRESSURE, SAID SUBLIMING MATERIAL BEING DISPOSED TO PERMIT SAID GAS TO ESCAPE INTO SAID BALLOON, A PRESSURE-TIGHT CONTAINER FOR MAINTAINING SAID BALLOON UNDER A RELATIVELY HIGH PRESSURE WHEN SAID BALLOON IS IN A DEFLATED CONDITION, AND MEANS FOR RELEASING SAID BALLOON FROM SAID CONTAINER IN A RELATIVELY LOW PRESSURE ATMOSPHERE TO CAUSE SAID SUBLIMING MATERIAL TO BE TRANSFORMED FROM A SOLID TO A GAS CAUSING SAID BALLOON TO BECOME INFLATED. 